Let me introduce you to one of
germanies greatest film composers. Rolf Wilhelm is often refered to
as the german John Williams. His music for films of all kinds of
genres is colourful, melodic and synfonic. 08/15 (1955/56),
Tonio Kroeger (1964), Die Nibelungen (1966/67), Das
Fliegende Klassenzimmer (1973), Das Schlangenei (1976),
Loriots Oedipussi (1988) and Loriots Pappa Ante Portas
(1991)... all classic films with even more classic scores.

Rolf Wilhelm was born 1927 in
munich. He took piano lessons already at the age of 7. He went to
Highschool in Berlin and Wien, showing incredible talent for music.
In 1942, he joined the "Musikhochschule Wien" at the age of 15,
where he learned composition.

Unfortunately, only one year
later in 1943, he was drafted at the age of 16 and later he became a
POW. After his release he returned to munich where he continued
studying music in 1946. During that year, he got his first assignment
as a composer for Das Gespenst von Canterville, a radio play
produced at channel "Radio München". He composed a score for a large
orchestra and became free employee in all departments of the channel.
During that time, he produced about 220 scores for radio plays.

His first film scoring
assignments followed in 1952, mainly for documentaries. The widely
known 08/15 trilogy became his first feature film assignment in
1954. In the following years he composed 64 feature film scores, 450
scores for television films and series as well as 350 pieces for
commercials.

Rolf Wilhelm is
now 78 years old and of reportedly good health but unfortunately, he
does not get any assignments anymore:

"Some years ago,
i started working on a tv series and even finished a few episodes.
They presented it to the producer and she said: 'I reject this music.
This is filmmusic and we don't need this here!' I answered: 'Well ok.
That's an interesting conclusion you've made here. We better
separate.' That was the inglorious (or still glorious?) ending of my
work for television."